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WEST JORDAN — A 48-year-old man was in critical condition with "very significant burns" after lighting himself on fire Thursday.
About 12:30 p.m., a man walked to a 7-Eleven, 6990 S. Redwood Road, paid for gas, and then used the gas pump to pour gas on himself, said West Jordan Police Sgt. JC Holt. The man then lit himself on fire and walked to a nearby park strip.
A West Jordan officer happened to be driving by the store just after the fire started. He stopped and grabbed an extinguisher from his vehicle to help other bystanders put the fire out, Holt said.
The man was combative toward bystanders, Holt said, as he apparently did not want them to put the fire out. The man suffered severe burns on mostly his waist down, but also on his arms, Holt said. Investigators believe, based on statements the man was making, that he purposely lit himself on fire in a suicide attempt.
No one else was injured. The gas pump at the convenience store suffered minor damage and the grass fire started by the man was extinguished quickly.
Crisis Hotlines
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-691-5433
- Salt Lake County/UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
